Accessibility links

Breaking News

Student Union

Student Hopes Genetics Will Raise the Voice of the Deaf

Megan Majocha graduated from Gallaudet University to pursue a career in genetics.
Megan Majocha graduated from Gallaudet University to pursue a career in genetics.

Megan Majocha's schedule will leave you breathless.

As an undergrad, she worked three internships. She knows three languages and is a dedicated follower of the very popular medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy.” Add to that a love of reading, working out, and baking, all while graduating from university.

Majocha says she studied biology and wants to be a doctor because her parents are deaf. Her siblings are hearing.

“My favorite class ... was human genetics,” she said, “especially related to deaf genes and what makes us deaf, and I learned about the community. All of that was very fascinating for me.”

Because Majocha is deaf, too.

Student Hopes Genetics Will Raise the Voice of the Deaf
please wait

No media source currently available

0:00 0:02:00 0:00

“I think I was about five or six years old, and I was sitting on my dad’s lap, and we were having a conversation and my dad said, ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’” she recalled. “And I kind of sat and thought about it and he said, ‘Do you want to be a teacher?’ And I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Do you want to be a police officer?’ I said, ‘No.’ So I did sit and think about it and my response was, ‘I want to be a doctor.”

Megan Majocha playing volleyball.
Megan Majocha playing volleyball.

Majocha attended Gallaudet University in Washington, "the world's only university designed to be barrier-free for deaf and hard of hearing students," according to its website. The 150-year-old institution is the world's largest publisher of books about and for the deaf community. Students come from the United States and more than 25 other countries, and can earn bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in American Sign Language (ASL).

ASL is not a boutique language limited only to people who know someone deaf. It is the third-most studied language in the United States after Spanish and French, according to the Modern Language Association. Between 2009-2013, enrollment in ASL classes increased 19 percent. It was more popular than learning German, which came in fourth, the MLA said.

“The deaf community is very small, and being a part of this community is an honor,” she said. “It really helped me stand up for what I believe in, to fight for my own rights."

Megan Majocha being interviewed.
Megan Majocha being interviewed.

After graduation, she worked with the Magee-Women's Research Institute in Pittsburgh in the reproductive biology department as the only deaf employee there.

“But people were willing to learn a little bit of sign language to increase their awareness and knowledge of deafness,” she said, advising the hearing abled to “ask questions and be open about knowing our culture and our community.”

Majocha is working now as a post-baccalaureate fellow at the National Cancer Institute, a part of National Institutes of Health, on genetic research.

See all News Updates of the Day

San Diego school requires course in climate change 

FILE - San Diego firefighters help Humberto Maciel rescue his dog from his flooded home in Merced, California, Jan. 10, 2023.
FILE - San Diego firefighters help Humberto Maciel rescue his dog from his flooded home in Merced, California, Jan. 10, 2023.

If you want an undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego, you’re going to have to take a course in climate change.

The requirement, which affects students who will graduate in 2028, is meant to prepare students for the future, according to a report by ABC News. (October 2024)

‘Study away’ programs in the US can provide enrichment opportunities 

FILE - Students walk on the campus of Boston College, April 29, 2024, in Boston.
FILE - Students walk on the campus of Boston College, April 29, 2024, in Boston.

While studying abroad can expose students to new cultures and experiences, researchers are finding that domestic ‘study away’ programs can be helpful as well.

Some students, including those on an international visa, may not be able to study abroad, but they can travel to other locations in the U.S. for enrichment experiences, Ashley Mowreader writes in Inside Higher Ed. (October 2024)

Fewer students disclose race in applications to top colleges 

FILE - An unidentified person walks past Harvard yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 7, 2023
FILE - An unidentified person walks past Harvard yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 7, 2023

FAfter the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action in college admissions last year, fewer students are disclosing their race or ethnicity in applications to top colleges.

Writing in USA Today, Zachary Schermele notes that the data is preliminary, but it could signal a change in the way students are approaching college applications. (October 2024)

Overall college enrollment is up, first-year enrollment down 

FILE - A student delivers packages to the dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.
FILE - A student delivers packages to the dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.

For the second year since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, college enrollment has climbed in the United States.

But the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center noticed a substantial drop in the number of freshmen, which could be troubling for future enrollment, according to a report in Forbes. (October 2024)

South African universities embrace AI, seeing it as equalizing tool

South African universities embrace AI, seeing it as equalizing tool
please wait

No media source currently available

0:00 0:02:59 0:00

The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT has sparked debate in higher education, raising questions about ethics and integrity in teaching, learning and knowledge creation. In South Africa, some academic institutions are taking a proactive approach, integrating AI into their curricula. Experts say this step is not only innovative but also helps level the playing field among students. Zaheer Cassim reports from Johannesburg.

Load more

XS
SM
MD
LG